The Beginning of The End
by After Six
Summary: Snapshots of the Hogwarts' founders lives from the beginning when the idea of Hogwarts was first proposed up until the end when they had to go their separate ways.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

In a secluded place somewhere in England, a house that was neither small nor large, but just about the right size, stood surrounded by a beautiful garden. Behind it, a thick forest loomed, but there was no sinister atmosphere in the darkness of the night as the sounds of chatter wafted through its windows. Inside, in one of the rooms, two beautiful girls of around the same age sat near each other. One had long raven hair that contrasted with her fair skin, and the other had golden locks that seemed to glow as bright as her smile.

The dark haired one was called Rowena Ravenclaw, and she was muttering a spell under her breath. In the dimness of the room which only source of light was a single candle, a bright orb of licking flames suddenly burst to life, shining like a giant star. The other girl, the one known as Helga Hufflepuff, gasped and stared at the magical creation in awe, admiration so clear on her expression.

"You really _can _do anything you learned just by reading," Helga shook her head in wonder. Rowena smiled and looked back down at the ancient tome she'd been poring over for the last hour. She waved her wand and the ball of fire vanished without a trace in a blink of an eye.

"Don't you wish more people could learn these things?" she said, more to herself than to her friend. "I mean, there are so many untold wonders of magic in these books. And they're so difficult to hunt down, especially if you don't know what to look for. There needs to be place that just stores all this knowledge of magic."

Helga looked at her sympathetically, knowing how much Rowena would love such a place, and how her brilliance would thrive even more within it. "That would be perfect indeed if such a place existed."

Rowena was quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. She looked out the window and bit her lip uncertainly before she turned to Helga, her eyes shining with hope that she didn't seem to dare to indulge in yet. "Well, maybe we should build one."

Helga stared at her friend in confusion. "Come again?"

"We ought to build one. Build a place to teach magic… a _school _of magic," Rowena's excitement was much less suppressed now. "Think about it, Helga; a school where every witch and wizard could learn to use all their potential instead of scrambling on their own and trying to make it up as they go along! These abilities that we are blessed with; they need to be honed and trained. Otherwise, so much potential is being wasted."

"A school of magic?" Helga echoed. "I heard there was some sort of academies over in France and Spain, but…"

"But there's none in Britain yet!"

"And you want _us_ to make one?" Helga suddenly looked very overwhelmed.

Rowena clasped her hand encouragingly, and asked the question that Helga knew she would always remember for the rest of her life: "Why not us?"

When it came to confidence, Helga had to admit she didn't have as much of it as her friend did. But there was something about this idea that spoke to her; that touched a deep part of her that maybe had always secretly dreamed about it, only she had never thought it possible or within her own capabilities. After all, building an entire school was no easy task. "Are… are you sure? I mean, you're brilliant and everything, but… that's still a huge undertaking. And… with me?"

"Of course with you, silly! I trust no one better than you to help in something as important as this." Rowena stood up and started pacing. Helga could almost see her brain working a mile a minute already, jumping far ahead and calculating everything. "Although, you're right. We can't do it alone. We have to find more people," Rowena said decisively, the glint of determination in her eyes. "People who share the same desire to teach magic, and who would be great teachers. People we can trust and depend on."

"Salazar," Helga said suddenly, surprising herself with the impulsivity. She hadn't even remembered agreeing to the idea yet, let alone believing she could do it. But Rowena's enthusiasm was infectious. "And Godric, obviously. They're both great wizards and I can't see anyone better to share this project with."

"Yes!" Rowena said with a grin. "You're right; they would be perfect for this. And I can't see them turning this down." She squeezed her friend's shoulder, hope of the future lighting up her face. "Oh, Helga, we're going to be able to teach the next generation and every one after that all about magic. It's about time someone shares all this precious knowledge!" Rowena's passion for learning had never been shown more obviously, and it warmed Helga's heart to see her like this. "Will you help me? Will you join me in creating the best school of witchcraft and wizardry in Britain?"

Helga stared at her best friend in the world, the most exceptional witch that she'd ever known, and suddenly found herself filled with a spark of hope. A school where no witch or wizard would ever be lost again. A place where they could learn and use their skills the right way. "Yes," Helga smiled, Rowena's joy finally infecting her too. She jumped up from her chair and grasped her friend's hands excitedly. "Yes, let's do this!"

* * *

Helga Hufflepuff remembered the first time she met her three best friends. It was in one of those frequent pureblood gatherings, which was akin to an exclusive tea party attended by the most prominent wizarding families. Of course, Muggles thought they were just a bunch of stuck-up, eccentric rich families, and those who felt they should earn themselves an invitation would then look down upon them with disdain upon realizing that they had an additional requirement in joining the private group; a requirement that they refused to tell non-wizards. Many had been offended by the simple refusal that yielded no other explanation. But mostly the wizard families were left alone, because their façade ensured that they remained to appear as respected members of the society.

It was at one of these gatherings that Helga first caught sight of a beautiful young woman whose hair was as dark as night itself, and who carried herself with confidence that was almost thought inappropriate by other women at that time. Rowena had caught her gaze and smiled, as if sensing a connection between them that would eventually bloom into a beautiful friendship, as if she already knew what kind of bright future they were going to have together. She'd introduced herself to Helga, who was feeling utterly intimidated and shy around her at first, but soon found herself liking the other girl a lot. And since that night they had been pretty much inseparable.

Rowena's mind was sharper than most women Helga knew. She never ceased to amaze her, and Helga felt very lucky to have found her. They practiced magic a lot in the safety of their homes, Rowena teaching her a lot of new things that Helga had yet to discover. She also read more books than Helga thought was possible to be read in an entire lifetime.

And it was at another gathering much like the one that had introduced them to each other that both girls noticed Salazar and Godric for the first time. Helga still remembered that night as if it only happened yesterday.

"Look at those two boys," she'd nudged Rowena, glancing at the sulking, bored-looking pair of young men who had been trying to entertain themselves with simple spells.

Rowena had turned to look, though she hadn't seemed impressed. "What about them?"

"Aren't they gorgeous?" Helga had said with a grin, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

Rowena had rolled her eyes. "Oh, Helga, you can't be serious. No boys our age are worth our attention. They're all arrogant fools, and I'd bet you anything so are those two. Do not let yourself be distracted by their mere appearance."

"You cannot mean to tell me you haven't found a boy who's smart?"

"Not as smart as me, that's for sure," Rowena had scoffed.

Helga had given her a tired look. "_No one_ is as smart as you, Rowena."

Rowena had chuckled. "Fair point."

"Come on, let's just talk to them for a bit. They may surprise you."

"Which one do you fancy anyway?" Rowena had looked at her suspiciously.

Helga's cheeks had reddened even more. "Well… the one with the green scarf."

She had almost expected Rowena to tease her, but as was often the case, Rowena had surprised her by simply nodding and said, "Alright, then I shall engage the other one in conversation to distract him, so you may freely talk with the one you like."

Helga had been unable to believe that Rowena would do that for her, and yet Rowena had kept her promise. When the two girls had approached the boys (Helga shyly, Rowena _pretending _to be coy), the boy with the green scarf had introduced himself as Salazar Slytherin. Helga had been taken by his charm quite immediately, and had almost forgotten that Rowena and the other boy—she'd later learned he was called Godric Gryffindor—had also been there.

And from that point on, what used to be two pairs of best friends united and formed a new kind of friendship between four, and it was the best thing that had ever happened to each of them.

Tonight was only one of the proofs that they were all meant to find each other. As Helga stood on the doorway of the living room in Godric's house, having just been let in so she and Rowena could tell the boys about their plan, she took a moment to look at each and every one of her dearest friends lovingly for a moment, feeling the familiar warmth in her heart that she always felt when the four of them were together. They had all taken a seat around a circular table, ready to flesh out their plan. Even though Godric and Salazar hadn't said yes yet, she knew they would. She couldn't imagine a scenario where they would not be interested in this idea.

And so it meant tonight they would start something big.

Tonight, they were going to make history.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Rowena was right; it didn't take much to convince Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin to join them in the founding of the school. In fact, both of them loved the idea and were on board immediately. The four of them were now gathered in Godric's home, brainstorming building plans and the identity of the school in question.

"You really are a genius, Rowena," Salazar said with a satisfied grin as he looked over the various parchments scattered upon the round table before them. "A school of magic would be the best thing that has ever happened to the British wizarding community."

Rowena beamed and smiled modestly.

"Yes, the only wonder is why it took you so long to come up with the idea," Godric said, raising one eyebrow playfully. Rowena threw a crumpled parchment that hit him squarely on the forehead. "Ow. Be more ladylike, why don't you?"

"Can we concentrate on the plans?" Rowena pointed at the parchments. "The building period might take a while, but if we use magic it should speed things up a little. There's this perfect structure in Scotland of an old castle that's pretty much in ruins. I think we could use it as a base and just fix it up; it'll be faster than building from scratch."

"Sounds good to me, but what are we going to call the school?" Helga chimed in, scribbling something on her parchment.

"Ooh, it has to be something majestic. Like The Fiery Lion's Academy of Magic, or something like that," Godric said.

Salazar wrinkled his nose. "That sounds absolutely ridiculous."

"It does not!" Godric retorted, annoyed. "What's your better idea, then?"

"The Slytherin School of Wizardry," Salazar said easily, as if he'd been thinking of the name for a while. Which, knowing him, he probably had.

Godric rolled his eyes. "How very nice of you to leave the rest of our names out of it."

"Well, we can't exactly fit all our names in it without making it too long," Rowena said reasonably, and added right when Salazar shot Godric a triumphant look, "which just means we _shouldn't _be putting any of our names in it at all."

Salazar's expression wilted in disappointment. "Well, I still think it has to sound majestic. I'm sick of Muggles not taking magic seriously. Either that, or they think we worship the devil and should be hunted down," Godric said in annoyance.

"The Muggles fear or dismiss that which they can't understand," Rowena shrugged. "They think magic is nonsense. Hogwash."

"That's it!" Helga said suddenly, making everyone else jump. "Hogwash. Well, not it exactly… Hogwarsh… Hogwarts? Doesn't that sound like a good name?"

Salazar looked uncertain. "But it doesn't really mean anything."

"But it sounds kind of nice," Godric said. "And it'd be so great if we can unintentionally mock the ignorant Muggles at the same time. Hey, our school of magic is hogwash, except not really." He grinned in a way that made his face look even more handsome and cause women's hearts to melt, and Rowena couldn't resist a smile.

"He's right. I like it too. Hogwarts… Hogwarts School…"

"Of Witchcraft…" Helga continued.

"…And Wizardry," Salazar finished, and the four of them looked at one another for a second. Suddenly the atmosphere turned reverential. It was a big moment; they'd just named the school they was about to build, and it felt so right in each of their heart.

"I love it," Godric shook his head in wonder. "The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts for short!"

Helga grinned. "Hogwarts it is."

* * *

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. The four friends had mainly concentrated on fixing the old castle that they were going to use for the school, and they spent the majority of their time in the building creating classrooms, dorm rooms, kitchens, and various other spaces. As it turned out, the castle was huge and had so many floors and rooms, more than they knew what to do with. But they figured more was better than less, and they could always find new functions for the empty areas later.

Night had fallen outside the windows, and Godric was strolling through the halls, looking wistfully at the way the school was shaping up to be when he heard hurried footsteps coming from behind him. "Godric! Godric, come quick!"

It was Rowena. He turned in surprise, not used to her being harried like this. She was usually the most calm and collected of them all, although he did notice that this school project _had _made her more excited and alive than he'd ever seen her in his life. It made him happy to see her like this. Somehow it made her even more beautiful and vibrant.

"What is it, Ro?" he asked patiently, noting that she looked thrilled rather than panicked. Not that he could remember ever seeing Rowena look panicked anyway. She always had the situation under control.

"Come with me!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him along the hallway, and he had no choice but to follow her as he tried to suppress his smile. They arrived at the other end of it and stood looking down at the many staircases that linked the hallway with the floors below. Except, Godric noticed with alarm, the stairs were moving.

"What…?" he asked in confusion at the bizarre sight in front of him.

"I did it, Godric! I charmed the staircases, so they could move on their own!" Rowena looked giddy beside him, but Godric just stared back at her with the same blank expression.

"You charmed the staircases so they could move…" he paused for a long while, feeling as if he was entirely missing the point, "…why?" he asked at last, in a voice barely above a whisper.

Rowena, who'd been looking expectantly at him, blinked at the question. It was certainly not the response she'd expected, either. And she just looked at him, speechless.

"Because…" she started, but seemed at a loss on how to continue. Godric personally wasn't surprised. What reason could anyone have to enchant _stairs _to move on their own? Their whole point was to _not _move so that people could use them safely. "Well, because I can!" Rowena said at last, looking frustrated, but with herself or him, Godric wasn't sure. He instantly felt bad.

"Forgive me, Ro, I just… I mean… they're brilliant, really," he looked back at the still moving stairs, knowing it was another advanced type of magic that not many could perform. It _was _amazing, but he still didn't see the point.

"Forget it," Rowena sighed. "It's a stupid idea. I just wanted to… I don't know. I don't even know why I did it. I'll put them back the way they were," she said dismissively.

Godric immediately felt as if he'd done the biggest mistake in his life. "No, no! Leave them, Ro, they're great. I mean, I'm sure the students will be awed and everything. And… it can be useful. Somehow," he added weakly, which just earned him another glare from her.

"No, you're right, it's useless," she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "It's dangerous, and it's useless."

Godric laughed and encircled his arm around her shoulder comfortingly. "No, Rowena, they are amazing. I forbid you from changing them back."

"Really?" Rowena looked up at him suspiciously.

"Really." He nodded solemnly. "I love it."

She smiled uncertainly then, but eventually relented and leaned her head on his shoulder as the two of them admired the ever-moving scene before them. "I'll probably have to make sure they don't move as much, lest no one will be able to get anywhere."

Godric chuckled. "That's a good idea. And, Ro?"

She glanced up at him as he looked mischievously at her. "You really did it just because you could, didn't you? Just as another signature of your brilliance in this school."

Rowena punched him lightly on the shoulder and her cheeks were slightly tinged with red. "Maybe. I just want the place to be magical."

"It is," Godric assured her, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "It is the most magical place on earth… and it's all thanks to you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"The school is ready," Godric finally said, voicing what they had concluded upon finishing their final examination through the entire castle. "Well, the castle is. All that's left to do is finding the professors willing to teach—other than us, that is—and, of course, the future students."

Six months had passed ever since Rowena first voiced the idea to build Hogwarts. The four of them could scarcely believe that dream was really about to come true.

"What about the Headmaster or Headmistress?" Rowena asked.

They all looked at each other for a moment. It was Helga who finally spoke up. "I don't think it should be one of us. Not because we're not capable, but… we built this school together and it seems unfair if only one of us should lead it."

"I suppose that makes sense," Salazar replied, which surprised Godric because usually he would jump at the chance of securing such positions even if it meant leaving the others. Then again, when it was Helga who raised the points, he seemed more inclined to follow the logic.

"So we'll have to find someone," Rowena added that to their to-do list.

"What about our student requirements?" Salazar asked, and was met by odd looks from his three friends.

"I thought the requirement was being a witch or wizard," Godric stated in confusion. Rowena and Helga nodded in agreement, but Salazar still seemed unconvinced.

"Just _any _witch or wizard?"

"Well, yes. We're the only wizarding school in Britain, Salazar. Why would you want to deny anyone entry?" Rowena asked, bewildered.

"Well… I had just imagined us being more specific than that. Being an exclusive school. Accepting only the best students," Salazar shrugged.

"And what kinds of students fall under the 'best' category?" Rowena cocked her head.

"Oh, I don't know. Ambitious, strong, smart… future world leaders," Salazar said.

"You do know only a handful of people ever become world leaders, right?" Helga asked in amusement. "What about the ones who don't have such high ambitions but aren't any less hardworking? Why should we deny them?"

"If we're picking student types, I want to admit those who are brave, daring, and fearless," Godric interjected, excitement flashing in his eyes.

Salazar rolled his eyes. "You mean as foolish as you."

Rowena raised her hand before an argument could break out. "Okay, okay, it seems like we all have a specific type of students in mind."

"I don't," Helga interrupted, but Rowena just gave her an 'of-course-_you_-don't' look, though not unkindly.

"Here's an idea. There are four of us. Maybe we should leave more reminders in this school as founders other than just the fact that we built it." She looked at each of her friend's puzzled faces. "Let us make houses within this school. Our own houses bearing our names. The houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." Now Godric, Salazar, and Helga looked intrigued, so Rowena continued. "That way, we can choose our type of students for our respective houses, _and _they all can still attend the school."

"That's a brilliant idea!" Godric said excitedly. "Of course, I should have never expected less from you." Rowena beamed at him. "It's settled then, the Gryffindor house would champion the traits I mentioned before. Only those who are the bravest and most loyal could secure a spot within it. And we'll need house symbols! I claim the fierce lion," he grinned, seemingly satisfied that he managed to use his original idea for the school's name after all.

"A house symbol?" Rowena's eyes flashed with intrigue. "Mine should be an eagle, I think. To symbolize the grace and wisdom that are to be my students' defining qualities."

"Shouldn't it be an owl then?" Godric chuckled, but Rowena quickly silenced him with an annoyed look. "Right, eagle is definitely more _majestic_."

"The house of Slytherin shall be represented by a serpent," Salazar said, "Its students will be cunning and determined, willing to do whatever it takes to reach their goal."

The others looked at him for a moment, no doubt mulling over the 'whatever it takes' part, but eventually no one voiced a concern. And finally they turned to Helga, who looked the most unsure out of them all.

"Do I really have to pick?" she bit her nails nervously. "I'm fine with any kind of students, really. As long as they're hardworking and fair." Rowena smiled, clearly familiar with her friend's endearing kindness. "Tell you what; I'd take all the other students that don't fit in your houses," Helga finished.

"Perfect," Godric said. "And your house's mascot? What shall it be?"

Helga frowned, seeming deep in thought for a very long time. Just when Rowena was about to suggest something, Helga perked up. "I know! A badger!"

"A badger?" Salazar echoed, his expression thoroughly baffled. "And why on earth would it be a badger?"

"Why not?" Helga replied with an equally confused look. "They're adorable."

"They're ador—Are you serious?" Rowena asked as Godric threw his head back and laughed loudly, clapping one hand on his knee. Rowena looked between him and Helga, wondering if she was missing the big joke.

But Helga just giggled and shrugged. "Well, they _are_! And I like it, okay?"

Godric roared in laughter again, and eventually Salazar shook his head and joined in. Rowena stared at her best friend and, not for the first time, wondered if Helga would ever take things as seriously as she should, but then she was reminded that it was precisely because she had the ability to take things in stride that Rowena loved her. So finally she smiled and nodded, feeling as if she could burst out laughing at any moment too. "Of course, Helga. Of course. Badger it is."

* * *

Designing the house crests turned out to be the most fun part of the process. Godric insisted he wanted gold for his secondary house color, and because they wanted all the colors to be different, no one else could use it as well. The boys debated for a while about it but eventually everyone agreed it would make more sense for the lion to get the gold color rather than the serpent. However, Salazar then of course wanted the second best color; silver. The girls decided to let Godric and Salazar claim them, but it was about the only time they let the traditional male dominance happen. Well, mostly Rowena let it. Helga was, of course, not too fussed about it. In fact, after Rowena claimed bronze, Helga decided to settle with plain old black. The primary colors had been easier; they'd just picked their own favorite colors, which thankfully were all different.

The school crest ended up being the combination of all four houses' crest. It looked quite amazing once they were done with it. It was as they were staring proudly at the finished crest that Godric said, "I think we need a school slogan."

"Can't we just put something like the 'primary wizarding school in Britain'?" Salazar asked.

"That's boring," Godric gave him a chiding look. "Honestly, Salazar, I think you need to start using your imagination more."

"I'm pretty sure that's your and Rowena's department," Salazar shrugged.

Godric turned to Rowena. "You're the Latin expert. Tell me if I've got this one right." He paused for dramatic effect, then announced carefully, complete with a grand hand gesture, "Draco, dormiens, nunquam, titillandus."

Rowena looked at him blankly. "Never tickle the sleeping dragon?" she asked doubtfully, sure that Godric had messed up his Latin and caused it to say something else entirely—something ridiculous—as people who translated poorly were prone to do.

But instead Godric clapped his hands happily. "Yes! That's it! Wise words, don't you think?"

Salazar and Rowena exchanged an incredulous look. Helga jumped up from her seat and clapped her hands, too. "I love it! It's so brilliant!"

"Right? Who's the genius now? This man is!" Godric looked extremely satisfied with himself, and then he and Helga started dancing around the room.

"Brilliantly random is what it is," Rowena muttered, still too shell-shocked to react.

Salazar threw his palm onto his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The day was here. The opening day of the school.

Rowena stood waiting anxiously by the window overlooking the lake as the night descended around the now brightly lit castle. So focused was she was on gazing there, waiting for the boats that would transport their first students ever to appear, that she didn't notice Godric stepping up beside her until he put one hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Stop worrying," he said, as if he could read her mind. "They're going to get here safely. And then your dream will finally come true."

Rowena looked at him with so much emotion in her eyes, Godric almost wanted to hug her. But he didn't, because he was always afraid of crossing the line with her that way. "I just want this to be perfect. I _need _this to be perfect."

"I know," Godric reassured her. "And it will. We'll be the best school exactly as we've wanted us to be. That is, if the Giant Squid doesn't eat the students before they get here—Ouch!" he rubbed his arm where Rowena had smacked her playfully, though he was glad he'd managed to elicit a smile from her and see her shoulders relaxing.

"Oh my gosh," Rowena said suddenly, her attention turning back toward the lake. Lights had begun dotting the dark waters, lights that were moving slowly toward the castle. "They're here! They're here, Godric!" That was the closest she'd ever come to actually jumping up and down in excitement. Godric gave her his finest grin.

"Let us alert the others to be ready. Do you want to be the one who welcomes them?" he asked gently.

Rowena's eyes shone as bright as the stars on the night sky. "Yes. Yes, I would like that very much."

Godric squeezed her hand in support, then left to tell the others the students were arriving. As she made her way downstairs to the Front Hall, Rowena thought back to the last few weeks that had passed in a flurry of activities.

First they had gathered all known eleven-year-old witches or wizards from their vast connections to the other wizarding families and sent them an invitation letter to attend the school.

After that they had received many queries from the surprised parents about the newly reopened school—naturally concerned about the safety of sending so many young witches and wizards into one place—and the four friends had spent quite some time assuring those parents that not only was Hogwarts safe from Muggles' prying eyes, but also their kids would be well looked after while they were there. They would also be receiving the best education on magic—something no other child in Britain had had the luxury of until today. The founders had taken great care to put many protection and concealing spells around the school, knowing they'd accepted a big responsibility by inviting all the children there.

And they were sure the place was as safe as it could be now. Finally, tonight, the first ever students were here, and as Rowena stood on the stairs above the docks where they would be disembarking, she clasped her hands in front of her and tried to look like the self-assured teacher she needed to be in front of the children. The sight of them alone already made her nervous, but she let none of it show.

Eventually they all gathered in front of her, looking up at her with curious, slightly afraid expressions. Rowena gave them a small smile. "Welcome, the first students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Consider yourself very lucky because today you will get an opportunity that none of you had before now. You've got the chance to study in this country's first and best wizarding school. From now on, you shall embark on a magical and educative journey."

A student near the front raised her hand. "Pardon me, ma'am, but how can this school be the best if it's the only one in the country?"

Rowena had to suppress a laugh. "Clever one, you are. I would bet that you're in my house. You are quite right, of course. We shall not claim that yet, even though I believe we _will _be the best. Please call me Professor Ravenclaw, and if you may, follow me now. It's about time you see the school where you'll hopefully spend the next seven years studying in."

She turned and climbed the stairs, listening to the sound of the students shuffling behind her. Rowena paused as she stood before the doors that led to the Entrance Hall. Then, with a deep breath, she pushed it open, revealing the first glimpse of the interior of the now transformed old castle.

She could hear murmurs of admiration from the students as she led them inside, and it grew even more as she proceeded into the brightly lit Great Hall. Candles were floating above the tables instead of sitting on them, and the ceiling was as dark and dotted with stars as the actual sky above. She could hear the sounds of excitement behind her and couldn't contain her own enthusiasm.

All the professors along with her three best friends already sat on the teachers' table, and they all looked as anxious and thrilled as everyone else. Rowena moved toward Godric, who was holding a long piece of parchment in his hands. "Would you do the honors?" she asked him, and he nodded with a grin.

"Students," he said as he stepped forward to the center of the room. "When you accepted our invitation to join our school, you have been asked to send us a little essay telling us about yourself. There is a reason for this." He paused as he looked at the faces of the little boys and girls. "While you're here, you will be sorted into four different houses. Each house champions a different trait in its students, and which house you will end up in depends on which of those traits you possess."

The students perked up at this, having only heard it for the first time. They began to murmur speculations among themselves, some panicking about being separated from their friends. Godric raised his hand to calm them down. "Now, we have read all of your essays, and we have decided where you all belong. I will begin calling your name and telling you which house you're in. Once your name has been called, please step forward and take your place in one of the four tables in front of you. The order from my left to my right is Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and finally Slytherin. Now, shall we begin?"

And so the first sorting ceremony was conducted. It took quite a while going through all the names, and at some point Salazar had to take over because Godric needed some water, but eventually all the students were sorted and were filling all four tables. Rowena looked at them all in satisfaction. Sorting was definitely one of the trickier processes, because some students had traits from more than one house, but they managed to settle it eventually.

For now, though, dinner was served.

* * *

"That was utterly exhausting," Godric sighed as he fell onto his usual seat at the table in their private meeting room.

"Yes, but I think we can safely call the first day a success," Helga grinned.

"It's not a success until we finish educating them, but I agree," Rowena said.

"One thing, though," Salazar said as he sat down opposite Godric. "What happens when we're no longer around? Who will sort them into the houses? I don't think we can just pass down the job to the next professors. Eventually our legacy would change and they wouldn't be able to keep it straight anymore."

"That _is _a problem," Rowena admitted, suddenly realizing they never anticipated this. "I shall have to look at some spells…"

Suddenly Godric whipped his pointy hat off and put it on the table. "Let's use this!" he said, his eyes bright with an idea.

Salazar looked at it distastefully. "Your old hat? How is it supposed to help? It's not like it's got brains."

"So we put one in it!" Godric grinned. "Or rather, we put our brains in it." Helga gave him an alarmed look, and he quickly amended, "I mean, _some _part of our brains. Or our essence, or whatever the correct term is. That way the hat can continue sorting the students forever using the same old, unchanging criteria that belong to us. A hat _can _be passed down through the generations."

Rowena looked at him in surprise. "Godric… you really have your brilliant moments sometimes."

Godric bowed good-naturedly as Salazar rolled his eyes and Helga laughed in glee.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The first time ever Rowena and Helga caught Salazar and Godric arguing more heatedly than ever before was many years later, after the number of students kept growing and growing along with the wizarding community. The girls were walking together back to their quarters when they heard Godric's raised voice coming from an empty classroom. "It's not right, Salazar. Muggle-borns are wizards too. We can't just start discriminating them. Keeping them out of your house was bad enough, but at least there's still the rest of us who are willing to educate them. Now you want to deny all of them entry to our school?"

"I don't trust them, Godric! You've known I don't like the idea ever since this issue was raised. Now there are too many of them… staining our school! I can't stand it anymore."

Godric looked as if he was seeing his old friend for the first time. "_Staining _our school? You sound like a narrow-minded, paranoid, arrogant prick, Salazar."

"Oh, what do I care what you think of me? I'm going to talk to Rowena and Helga. They might see more sense than you."

"They'd never agree with you! They've always wanted everyone to get equal chance to receive education here. You have no good reason to not welcome them here other than blood prejudice. Which is really stupid, because, how could you judge someone by _what _they were born as?"

"Spare me the moral lecture, Godric. I'm talking to the girls and we'll see whose side they are on."

"There is no need," Rowena said as she pushed the door wider and stepped into the classroom. "We're here and we heard everything. And, Salazar… I have to say Godric is right."

Salazar looked surprised, then hurt, before he finally turned to Helga. "You too?"

Helga hesitated, looking between him, Godric, and Rowena. She was always the one who liked confrontation least, especially when it happened between the four of them. Especially when she had to take sides. And especially because she really, really cared about Salazar. Except lately, she too, could hardly recognize him anymore. He'd argued with Godric way more often than ever this year alone, and she could sense that their friendship was cracking, and she'd been terrified that it would eventually be broken beyond repair. Now she had the feeling that that moment might be right now. And she had no idea what she had to do to stop it.

"Helga, please, just be honest with me," Salazar said again. "You do understand where I'm coming from, right?"

Helga had tears in her eyes when she finally looked up at him. "I'm… I'm sorry, Salazar, but you of all people should know that I always treat everyone equally."

Salazar sighed, looking defeated. But even more so, he also looked betrayed. He shook his head and walked out of there without another word. Helga had a terrifying premonition as she watched his back retreat and finally disappear, leaving the three of them alone.

* * *

Salazar left the school a week later. It was devastating to his three friends, of course, but they also realized how much he'd changed over the years. How much they had all changed.

"Sometimes I feel as if it was a bad idea, dividing our students into houses like that," Helga said as she stood by the window, watching Salazar walk down the front stairs of the castle. Leaving Hogwarts forever. Her heart was breaking, and she still hoped he would turn around and change his mind. Tell them that he was wrong. But Salazar was beyond reason. If there was one thing Helga regretted the most, it was her failure to convince him to stay.

"Maybe," Rowena conceded softly as she sat on the chair beside her friend, looking around the office they'd shared between the four of them for years.

Godric stood with his arms crossed, leaning on the doorway. "Can this school remain standing with just the three of us?" he finally voiced the question that neither girl had been brave enough to ask.

All three of them looked at each other doubtfully, but eventually it was Rowena who said, "It has to. We don't have another choice. We owe it to our students."

Helga and Godric nodded, and they did try their best to keep the school afloat. But the friendship between them had changed too much to return to how it was, especially with a missing part. It was just never the same again, and eventually the rest of them, too, went their separate ways, leaving the school in good hands with a heavy heart.

Hogwarts just didn't feel the same without all four of them in it anymore, and the memories left behind too painful to relive every day.

When Helga thought back to the beginning, to their happier days, she couldn't stop wondering what went wrong or what they—what _she_—could've done differently to keep them from falling apart. But she soon learned that sometimes things just change. Even the best of friends could drift apart. And even someone whom we used to love could eventually become someone we no longer recognize.

And sometimes, there's just nothing we can do about it.


End file.
